Overeating on Paleo?

I have a problem that most paleo-heads don't usually have to deal with. Stopping eating when full! I've done paleo for over a year, and have had no problems when it comes to choosing the correct foods. My fault, however, lies with the volume of food I eat.

I have a very hard eating-disordered past, in which I constantly overate, even when full. When I changed my diet from SAD and started weight watchers, I lost weight, but often ate things I could eat in volume while still remaining under my points. Once I finally switched to Paleo, I still tend to overeat on everything paleo (mostly meat and veggies) and try to avoid buying the things I know I can't control myself with (ex: TRAIL MIX), but I still have issues satisfying NOT my hunger, but the emotional fulfillment of overeating.

I do somewhat agree with this, @jake3_14. But solving this underlying issues takes time and a lot of soul-searching (sorry if that sounds ultra cheesy), and if someone is feeling desperate and really overwhelmed by weight problems, having some physical tactics to halt or at least slow the weight gain, even if the underlying emotional problems aren't yet solved, could be really helpful

Lately I've found that the only time I actually succumb to a binge is when I've run out of those safe to eat foods.

Obviously, this isn't a long-term fix, and it probably isn't the healthiest mindset. But it could be a useful tool to get your weight in check while you explore other options. I'm looking into therapy once my schedule settles down a bit, as I find the overeating problem quite overwhelming.

Celery plain is one of those things I would never crave, but will continue to munch on if it's in front of me because I enjoy the crunch. So just grab some clean celery, maybe sprinkle a little salt on it and go to town. It's low in calories, not hyperpalatable (unlike sitting down with a bag of chips or a box of Oreos, or even a jar of nuts or almond butter) and you'll actually fill up from all the water and fiber before you've consumed a lot of calories (as opposed to nuts. I can easily consume 500+ calories worth of nuts before feeling full)

This is a very good suggestion, @samc. I sometimes do something similar with a little oil and pico de gallo type salsa. Delicious with chicken, beef and shrimp, kind of like a Chipotle burrito bowl. I sometimes add sliced olives and other raw veggies, and some cilantro if I can get it on sale. It'd probably be good with guac or slices of avocado, but alas, I'm a freak that hates avocado

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Answers

what seems to work for me is making sure I get a good amount of fat intake with each meal. i'm sold on the idea that fat satisfies those craving impulses. i used to do a daily lunch salad that had hardly any fat content to it and since switching from that to some sort of meat/veggie lunch i've noticed those mid afternoon cravings for fruit or nuts that i would tend to overdo have wained and are much more manageable. good luck!

Thanks for your input, everyone! The celery is a great idea, and I'll be incorporating that. To clear some things up, I don't have a weight issue -- but I do have those elusive last 10-15lbs just hanging out that I would eventually like to kick. I feel like if I could fix this issue, they would drop easily.

Speaking from experience, any physical tactic alone is going to fail you sooner rather than later if you don't address the root cause of your mind telling you to continue eating when your body's pleading not to. I have a variety of coping mechanisms, ranging from getting enough sleep, so that my rational mind can has a fighting chance against my dysfunction, to doing a quick meditation to get in touch with the feelings driving my want to overeat.

Each one of us food addicts need to find a combination of strategies and tactics suited to us. For some, that's Overeaters Anonymous, for others its psychotherapy, and for others, it's the measures I mentioned above.

I do somewhat agree with this, @jake3_14. But solving this underlying issues takes time and a lot of soul-searching (sorry if that sounds ultra cheesy), and if someone is feeling desperate and really overwhelmed by weight problems, having some physical tactics to halt or at least slow the weight gain, even if the underlying emotional problems aren't yet solved, could be really helpful

I also struggle with this problem, but I have a few tips that help me sometimes:

Always have an ok-to-overeat food on hand. For me, that's generally celery sticks, all prepped and ready to go. I keep them in a container with water in the fridge and generally just snack on them throughout the day. If I feel like I'm about to overeat/binge but I'm not actually in need of food (aka I already had dinner, just had breakfast, etc.) I grab the celery. It fills me up quickly and makes me kind of uncomfortably bloated, so I'll eventually stop, but I'll only end up consuming MAYBE 100 calories tops. Then, as soon as that's over, I prep more. Celery is also relatively cheap, so it's a good option

Try not to set out your extras while you eat...for instance, if you add some nuts to a salad, don't leave the bag/container out on the counter while you eat so it's still sitting there when you go to do the dishes. Just seal it back up and put it away. You'll be less tempted if the food's out of sight

Once you've eaten a reasonable meal, LEAVE the kitchen. This is hard for me because I'm in a studio apt, but I just try to go to the other side of my apt and distract myself with studying, reading, etc until the desire for more goes away

Celery plain is one of those things I would never crave, but will continue to munch on if it's in front of me because I enjoy the crunch. So just grab some clean celery, maybe sprinkle a little salt on it and go to town. It's low in calories, not hyperpalatable (unlike sitting down with a bag of chips or a box of Oreos, or even a jar of nuts or almond butter) and you'll actually fill up from all the water and fiber before you've consumed a lot of calories (as opposed to nuts. I can easily consume 500+ calories worth of nuts before feeling full)

Lately I've found that the only time I actually succumb to a binge is when I've run out of those safe to eat foods.

Obviously, this isn't a long-term fix, and it probably isn't the healthiest mindset. But it could be a useful tool to get your weight in check while you explore other options. I'm looking into therapy once my schedule settles down a bit, as I find the overeating problem quite overwhelming.

Eat big freaking salads with a set amount of protein tossed in. Make a simple dressing with mustard, balsamic vinegar and a splash of olive oil. Eat until you just don't want anymore. I don't, but I could eat this every night for dinner, my family would kill me if I did this. You will not add any weight doing this. One day eggs, then shrimp, bacon, turkey, chicken, beef. A few teaspoons of blue cheese make it rich as well as some Avocado.

I kicked the overeating thing doing this. I now can walk away from the table and if I feel the urge to continue to eat, I make a cup of coffee and remove myself from the kitchen. Works all the time now.

This is a very good suggestion, @samc. I sometimes do something similar with a little oil and pico de gallo type salsa. Delicious with chicken, beef and shrimp, kind of like a Chipotle burrito bowl. I sometimes add sliced olives and other raw veggies, and some cilantro if I can get it on sale. It'd probably be good with guac or slices of avocado, but alas, I'm a freak that hates avocado